Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 16 November (HL9859), which Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan lenders have charged interest rates of more than 14.99 per cent per annum; and what is the total value of such loans.

Lord Callanan: Interest rates are set by lenders under the scheme. The British Business Bank and BEIS do not approve individual commercial terms. Some delivery partners accredited before the 14.99 per cent maximum rate of interest was in place can issue Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities with interest rates above 14.99 per cent. We are unable to provide a breakdown by lender as this data is commercially sensitive.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 16 November (HL9859), whether any lenders charging 14.99 per cent per annum or more for Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans also charged arrangement fees of more than 3 per cent per annum.

Lord Callanan: Interest rates are set by lenders under the scheme. The British Business Bank and BEIS do not approve individual commercial terms. Some delivery partners accredited before the 14.99 per cent maximum rate of interest was in place can issue Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) facilities with interest rates above 14.99 per cent. We are unable to provide a breakdown by lender as this data is commercially sensitive.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what value of loans extended by Greensill under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme had annual rates of interest of more than 10 per cent per annum; and what proportion of Greensill loans within the Scheme involved an arrangement fee of 3 per cent per annum.

Lord Callanan: We are unable to provide of a breakdown of Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme data by lender as this is commercially sensitive.

Business and Employment

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey aretaking to (1) protect jobs, and (2) support businesses, at the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.

Lord Callanan: We have provided support and tools to help businesses prepare and understand the actions they need to take ahead of the end of the transition period. The Government, through HMRC, has provided £84 million to support small businesses adapt to new customs rules, and the Department for International Trade has established a £38m Internationalisation Fund for small businesses. The Government has published comprehensive guidance and launched an online checker tool for businesses to tailor guidance to their needs via GOV.UK. BEIS has also undertaken a comprehensive programme of engagement with businesses, including my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State writing out to 4.7 million businesses across the country to inform them of how to prepare for the end of the transition period.

Intellectual Property: Small Claims

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to bring forward proposals to includeregistered designs within the scope of the small claims track of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court.

Lord Callanan: The Government recently sought stakeholder views on the inclusion of registered designs in the small claims track of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and is currently considering the responses received and the best way to take this work forward.

Land Registry

Lord Allan of Hallam: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 23 September (HL7839), when the Land Registry expects to start publishing Unique Property Reference Numbers as part of its publicly available data referencing properties.

Lord Callanan: HM Land Registry (HMLR) is committed to opening its data where possible. HMLR already incorporates Unique Property Reference Numbers in its published Leasehold property data set and as part of its National Polygon Service. HMLR will incorporate UPRN and Unique Street Reference Number data where appropriate in future publishable data sets in line with the National Data Strategy.

Buildings: Insulation

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase insulation in properties to contribute to thenet-zero carbon emissions target.

Lord Callanan: The £1.5 billion Green Homes Grant Voucher scheme aims to deliver energy efficiency and clean heat upgrades to 600,000 homes across England. Insulation forms one of the groups of primary measures funded through the scheme. The scheme has been extended to March 2022, as announced in my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Support is also available for installation of energy efficiency measures, including insulation, through a number of government-funded schemes. In addition to the £640 million per year Energy Company Obligation (ECO), in financial year 2020-21, these include the £500 million Local Authority Delivery (LAD) Green Homes Grant Scheme and the £50 million Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator (SHDFD), with a further £60 million for this scheme for 2021-22 announced in the Spending Review. The Government is planning to publish a Heat and Buildings Strategy in the new year, which will set out the immediate actions we will take for reducing emissions from buildings.

Department of Health and Social Care

Mental Health: Surveys

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Government Response to the House of Lords Gambling Industry Committee Report: Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry, published on 8 December, what plans they have to ensure that any company that (1) was previously connected to, or (2) has a conflict of interest with, the gambling industry is not procured by NHS Digital to carry out the 2021 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey.

Lord Bethell: Crown Commercial Services, through their RM6018 Research Marketplace Dynamic Purchasing System, ran a Call for Competition (CFC) on behalf of NHS Digital to put in place a contract for the provision of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2021.The CFC requested bidders to declare any conflict of interest, which as part of the tender process we would have subsequently conducted due diligence on. In this case we not aware of any such conflicts of interest for bidders. As of 18 December 2020, this is a live procurement.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Bethell on 1 December (HL Deb, cols 717–21), what assessment they have made of the efficacy of lockdownsin preventing the transmission of COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: Evidence suggests that more stringent interventions tend to reduce the reproduction number of the virus.The lockdown imposed in late March and the changes in behaviour that preceded this had a high level of uptake and resulted in a rapid reduction in the reproduction number ‘R’ from about 2.5-3.0 to about 0.5-0.7. That is a reduction in ‘R’ of about 2, or a reduction in transmission of 75%. We continue to review the efficacy of measures.

Health Services: Standards

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake an independent audit of the clinical outcomes of NHS England; and what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations about undertaking similar audits of the clinical outcomes of (1) NHS Scotland, (2) NHS Wales, and (3) Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, in order to compare performance across the UK.

Lord Bethell: National Clinical Audit and Patient Outcomes Programme audits on National Health Service healthcare services in England are commissioned and managed by the independent Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership on behalf of NHS England. It is a requirement of the NHS standard contract in England that all providers of NHS care in England participate in the programme which supports trusts in identifying necessary improvements for patients. Most of the audits involve services in England and Wales. Some also include services from Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government why Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is not listed on the topics covered by the NHS Clinical Knowledge summary; who authorised the decision to combine CFS with “Tiredness/fatigue in adults”; and when that change was made.

Lord Bethell: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summary Tiredness/fatigue in adults was published in October 2009 and there has been no change in the way it is titled over the subsequent period. NICE advises that the inclusion of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) within the tiredness/fatigue topic is to ensure that clinicians will consider CFS as a potential diagnosis as early as possible in the course of care of a person presenting with symptoms of tiredness and fatigue.In 2007 NICE published the guideline, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): diagnosis and management. This is currently being updated and a draft guideline is out for consultation with the final guidance expected in April 2021. The CFS diagnosis and management sections in the Clinical Knowledge Summary on Tiredness/Fatigue are kept in line with NICE guidance on CFS and will be updated following publication of the new guidance if necessary.

Abortion

The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported rise in the number of abortions among women with two or more children.

Lord Bethell: The Department has made no such assessment. However, the Department has commissioned the King’s Fund to undertake a piece of work to provide insights into factors contributing to changing patterns of abortion uptake in England.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they had about the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines on people withpre-existinghealth conditions prior to authorising the use of those vaccines.

Lord Bethell: Prior to the recent authorisation, the efficacy of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 was evaluated in two clinical studies. The first study excluded co-morbidities or pre-existing health conditions. The second study allowed enrolment of subjects with pre-existing stable disease, defined as disease not requiring significant change in therapy or hospitalisation for worsening disease during the six weeks before enrolment. Also enrolled were subjects with known stable infection with HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B. There were no meaningful clinical differences in overall vaccine efficacy in participants who were at risk of severe COVID-19 disease including those with one or more comorbidities that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 disease.Evaluation of data for other vaccines is ongoing but will include a robust review of all quality, safety and efficacy data, including in those with pre-existing health conditions if they were included in clinical trials.

Gender Recognition: Health Services

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust about the steps that Trust is taking to assess whether the treatment provided by the Gender Identity Development Service adequately considers instances where patients present conditions of gender dysphoria which may resolve itself without intervention.

Lord Bethell: The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust is primarily a psycho-social service that focuses on enabling the young person to choose the path which best suits their needs.In September 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement, who commission the service, announced that Dr Hilary Cass will lead an independent review into gender identity services for children and young people.The review will be wide-ranging in scope looking into several aspects of gender identity services, with a focus on how care can be improved for children and young people including key aspects of care such as how and when they are referred to specialist services, and clinical decisions around how doctors and healthcare professionals support and care for patients with gender dysphoria.The independent review will present recommendations to NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Quality and Innovation Committee.

NHS Test and Trace: Recruitment

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they were informed that the Director of Supplies and Innovation for NHS Test and Trace had been recruited byOxford Nanopore Technologies; and who informed them of that recruitment.

Lord Bethell: Emma Stanton advised NHS Test and Trace on 25 November 2020 that she was intending to start work for Oxford Nanopore.

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 11 December (HL11105), where information on the number of children diagnosed as having foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is held.

Lord Bethell: This information is not currently collected and only estimates are available. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 156 published in January 2019 estimated that approximately 3.2% of babies born in the United Kingdom are affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Further estimates on prevalence are calculated by academic institutions and voluntary organisations and vary greatly.

Emma Stanton

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Emma Stantonis subject to the Business Appointment Rules for Civil Servants following her role as Director of Supplies and Innovation for NHS Test and Trace.

Lord Bethell: Emma Stanton is subject to Civil Service Business Appointment Rules and was notified of conditions relating to these rules regarding her future role with Oxford Nanopore. These related to restrictions on lobbying of the United Kingdom Government and related commercial activities and a reminder on the use of privileged information gained in her time at NHS Test and Trace and were commensurate with the short length of time she was working for them.

Ministry of Justice

Employment Tribunals Service

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many claims before employment tribunals were outstanding in each month of 2020.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The published number of outstanding single employment tribunal claims each month in 2020 are set out below:MonthOutstanding claimsJan 202036,315Feb 202035,653Mar 202036,758Apr 202039,241May 202036,365Jun 202042,786Jul 202044,303Aug 202045,130Sep 202046,512

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Canary Islands: Immigrants and Refugees

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Spain about the number of migrants and refugees arriving in the Canary Islands; whether that government has requested any assistance with this matter; and what plans they have to offer support (1)to aid that government's assessment and resettlement of those migrants, and (2) to prevent the establishment of permanent camps.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government, through our Embassy in Madrid, discusses a range of issues related to migration with the Spanish authorities. Our Embassy monitors closely the recent rise in migrant crossings from West Africa to the Canary Islands which, according to Spain's Ministry of the Interior, increased by 1,019% between 1 January and 15 November compared with the same period in 2019. The Government of Spain has not requested assistance in managing this increase in arrivals and the UK Government, whilst committed to working with Spain to achieve safe and properly managed migration, has no plans to intervene.

Nigeria: Boko Haram

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to establish what has happened to the students kidnapped by Boko Haram in Katsina on 11 December; what assistance they are giving to the government of Nigeria in securing the release of those students; what assessment they have made of (1) the statement by Abubakar Shekau claiming responsibility for the kidnappings, and (2) the impact of jihadist ideology on violence in northern Nigeria.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government was deeply concerned about the abduction of Nigerian schoolboys from their school in Kankara, Katsina State, North West Nigeria on 11 December. We welcome the news that they were released on 17 December. Following the attack, the Minister for Africa publicly stressed that schoolchildren need to be protected and subsequently welcomed their release. The UK Deputy National Security Advisor discussed the kidnap with the President's Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, on 15 December.We are aware that Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping. We are also aware that Boko Haram have previously claimed responsibility for attacks they have not directly conducted. For over a decade, terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, have caused immense suffering to local communities, predominantly in North East Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad Basin region. We continue to monitor developments closely, and to support Nigeria to tackle the terrorist threat. We are also providing a comprehensive package of stabilisation and humanitarian assistance to support affected communities.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Lord Garnier: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey plan to review the evidence of the government of China’s non-compliance with international human rights law and respect for human rights in Hong Kong; whether they plan to designate identifiable officials of that government as pursuant to the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020; and if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, we have a duty to speak out when we have concerns. The UK has raised our deep concerns with China on a number of occasions and been clear with them that they should reconsider their actions. In light of our concerns we have taken three decisive actions in relation to the erosion of rights, freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong - specifically in response to the National Security Law. This has included: a new immigration path for British Nationals (Overseas); suspending our extradition treaty with Hong Kong; and extending our arms embargo on mainland China to HK.We will continue to consider designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations. It is not appropriate to speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of the designations. We continue to bring together our international partners to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their freedoms, and to hold China to their international obligations.

Algeria: Ahmadiyya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Algeria about the treatment of Ahmadis inthat country; and if they have not made any such representations, what plans they have to do so.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights policy priorities. Her Majesty's Government is concerned about the treatment of religious minorities in Algeria, including the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Our Embassy in Algiers is in regular contact with minority religious groups, and has contacted local Ahmadi representatives to understand their concerns and how best to support them. We continue to raise the difficulties encountered by minority religious groups in freely practicing their faith at senior official and ministerial level. Most recently Her Majesty's Ambassador raised Freedom of Religion or Belief with the Minister of Interior in November 2020.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Sheehan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Israel about (1) lifting the closure of Gaza, and (2) ending all practices intending to be collective punishment of the inhabitants of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We have serious concerns about the use of punitive acts against the families of Palestinians who have been accused of violent acts by Israel, including Israel's policy of demolitions to destroy the homes belonging to suspected Palestinian terrorists or their families. Such punishments, in all but the most exceptional of cases, are contrary to international humanitarian law. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have registered concerns about this policy with Israeli authorities. The UK also remains deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza. We continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the economy and to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza. There remains an urgent need for all parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict in Gaza.

Palestinians: Health Services

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel about reports that Palestinians who have been shot by the Israel Defence Force are being denied medical care.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The long-lasting movement restrictions and the serious constraints imposed by the occupation can impact the provision of medical care. Under International Humanitarian Law, Israel, as the Occupying Power, has the duty of ensuring and maintaining public health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) to the fullest extent of the means available and with the cooperation of the local authorities. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the matter of access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities. We have also publicly and privately expressed our longstanding concerns about the use of live ammunition and excessive force by the Israel Defence Forces.

Jerusalem: Churches

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that an Israeli settler attackedGethsemane Church in East Jerusalem; and what steps they are taking to protectChristian churches from any damage caused byIsraeli settlers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: UK Consul General Jerusalem visited the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane on 7 December, following the attack on the church. The UK stands in solidarity with Christian communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and condemns all attacks on freedom of religious belief. Holy sites in Jerusalem hold particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. We condemn all forms of violence, including against places of worship, and raise this with the authorities when necessary. We also condemn any incidence of violence by Israeli settlers.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response (1) to the statementby the government of Ethiopia that (a) its military shot at a UN convoy, and (b) it wants the UN to travel in armed convoy; (2) to reports that Tigrayans have been removed from their jobs at the UN; and (3) to reports that the government of Ethiopia is preventing aid reaching Ethiopians.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Minister for Africa urged all parties on 11 December to recognise that humanitarian workers must be protected from attack and are not a target. We have been consistent in our request to the parties that humanitarian actors be granted free and unfettered access in the Tigray region, most recently by the UK Special Envoy on Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs in his meetings with the Government of Ethiopia on 15 December. We will continue to work constructively with the Ethiopian authorities, the UN and others to this end.In the week commencing 14 December, the World Food Programme was able to deliver 18 trucks of food assistance to Adi Harush and Mai Ayni Refugee Camps, without a Government of Ethiopia security escort. Humanitarian agencies including UK funded partners in Tigray are working hard in extremely challenging circumstances to deliver assistance to those in need. Urgent access is still required so that humanitarian support can be provided and delivery of essential services can resume immediately.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports (1) that the Eritreanmilitary is fighting in Tigray, (2) that people have been abducted and returned to Ethiopia, and (3) of the seizure of Tigrayan land by(a) the government of Eritrea, and (b) the Amhara regional government; and what assessment hey have made of the impact of any such actions on the long-term stability of Ethiopia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The British Ambassador in Eritrea raised questions of Eritrean involvement with the Eritrean Foreign Minister on 2 December, who stated that there are no Ethiopian refugees in Eritrea, denied that Eritrea is involved militarily in the conflict, and categorically denied that Eritrean forces had forcibly returned Eritrean refugees to Eritrea. We are, however, concerned to note mounting but unconfirmed evidence since then of Eritrean involvement.We are extremely concerned that humanitarian agencies, including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), do not have access to refugee camps in Tigray, meaning our understanding of the humanitarian and protection context in camps and refugee hosting areas is limited. It is the responsibility of the host state to ensure refugees are protected and are not subjected to forcible return. This was acknowledged by the Government of Ethiopia when we raised the matter.The UK is concerned by reports of ethnically-motivated attacks within Tigray and elsewhere in Ethiopia, and about the risk these events pose to Ethiopia's overall political stability and democratic transition, of which the UK has been supportive. In the Minister for Africa's statement of 17 December he called for the independent investigation of alleged violations of human rights.

Africa: Diplomatic Relations

Lord Chidgey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to extend the UK’s diplomatic presence across Africa, in particular into smaller countries.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since 2018, the UK has increased its diplomatic reach by over 350 staff across Africa, including in Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Eswatini and Lesotho. In addition, the UK contributes to international diplomatic efforts, including through its Sahel Envoys and Sahel Alliance networks. We continue to keep under close review the size and location of our network to ensure that it remains appropriate for delivering HMG priorities across Africa within the overall resources available.

Mozambique: Islamic State

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the government of Mozambique, (2) the African Union, (3) the Southern African Development Community, and (4) other regional groups, about the humanitarian and security situation in Cabo Delgado province; and what advice they have offered the government of Mozambique with the aim of (a) preventing further loss of life and livelihoods, and (b) preventing further gains by Islamic State and its local affiliates.

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the United Nations, and (2) humanitarian organisations, about the provision of assistance to people in Mozambique who have fled their homes due to the security situation in Cabo Delgado province.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in northern Mozambique with President Nyusi on 11 June, urging him to address the underlying causes of the insurgency as well as its effects. The Minister for Africa spoke to Foreign Minister Macamo on 23 July, noting Mozambique's efforts to address the causes of instability through the creation of the Integrated Department for the Development of Northern Mozambique (ADIN), and to encourage a holistic approach to tackling the insurgency. The Minister of State responsible for Human Rights also discussed these issues with President Nyusi on 24 August and offered UK support to tackle the growing humanitarian crisis.We regularly engage with our international partners on Mozambique, including the US, France, Portugal, South Africa and the UN. The Minister for Africa spoke to the Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa on 16 July. They agreed on the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Southern African region, and on central role of the Southern African Development Community in achieving this. To date, the UK has provided £19m of humanitarian and development support to internally displaced people in northeast Mozambique through UN agencies, ensuring displaced people have access to food, shelter and basic healthcare.

Overseas Aid: Charities

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the impact of small international development charities on (1) the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and (2) furthering the international reputation of the UK and its contribution to overseas development.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Through FCDO's UK Aid Direct programme, we have a portfolio of 89 live grants to small international development charities (those with an annual income under £250,000); who are contributing to 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. As of August 2020, 54 of the small international charities supported through the Small Charities Challenge Fund (SCCF) had reached 197,411 beneficiaries, in 22 developing countries, 53% of whom were women. The FCDO's funding to small charities supports building the capacity of small charities in order for them to continue their work after the funding is over. We also recognise the important role they play in raising awareness in the UK of the issue of global poverty and the role UK Aid can play.The first round of SCCF grants are currently coming to an end and the FCDO will assess their achievements against agreed outcomes and numbers of beneficiaries supported; their overall impact, the strengths and challenges of delivering projects through small charities as well as the lessons that can be learnt from their approaches. This will contribute to our understanding of their contribution to furthering the reputation of the UK and its contribution to overseas development.

China: Uighurs

Lord Garnier: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan toconclude the review of the evidence of the government of China's use of Uighur forced labour in Xinjiang; whether they plan to designate identifiable officials of that government as pursuant to the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020; and if so, when.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: On 6 July, the UK Government established the Global Human Rights sanctions regime. The Government's position remains that it is not appropriate to speculate about who may be designated under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designations. We will keep all evidence and potential listings under close review. We remain deeply concerned that Uyghurs are being placed into forced labour programmes following "graduation" from internment camps, and others are detained for not participating in such programmes. We continue to raise these concerns, including most recently in a joint statement on Xinjiang with 38 other countries at the UN Third Committee in October.

West Bank: Demolition

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel has charged Palestinians for the demolition of their homes by the IsraelDefence Force.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are seriously concerned by increasing rates of demolition of Palestinian property by the Israeli authorities. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice causes unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians and is harmful to the peace process. The UK is focused on preventing demolitions from happening in the first place through our legal aid programme, which supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or home eviction in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We continue to urge the Government of Israel to develop improved mechanisms for zoning, planning and permitting in Area C for the benefit of the Palestinian population, including by facilitating local Palestinian participation in such processes.

Slavery

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks they undertakeinto the potential incidence of modern slaveryin the supply chains of each recipient of Official Development Assistance.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery and achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8.7. We are taking active steps to identify and prevent modern slavery in government and partners' supply chains. In March 2020, we published the world's first Government Modern Slavery Statement, setting out steps taken to eradicate modern slavery from our supply chains.The FCDO's Supply Partner Code of Conduct requires ODA-funded commercially contracted supply partners to go through a comprehensive code compliance process. This process considers supply chain risk and requires compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The FCDO is exploring applying the Code more broadly to other funded partners, such as accountable grants and Memorandum of Understandings. The FCDO encourages supply partners to use the Her Majesty's Government Modern Slavery Assessment Tool, which provides tailored recommendations to improve anti-slavery management and due diligence activity in their supply chains, including conducting risk assessments to reduce the risk of exploitation. From 2021, all Ministerial government departments, including the FCDO, will publish annual modern slavery statements, reporting on specific steps taken to tackle modern slavery in commercial supply chains.

Cabinet Office

Brexit

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the UK’s preparedness for the end of the transition period following the UK's departure from the EU.

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey havemade of the UK’s preparedness forthe end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.

Lord True: We have been making significant preparations for the end of the transition period, and have been urging businesses and citizens to do the same, with the Government supporting them to do so.The key actions that businesses and citizens need to take before the end of the Transition Period are set out on GOV.UK/transition which contains advice on a wide range of subjects.

Elections: Visual Impairment

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the accessibility of voting for blind and partially sighted people.

Lord True: The Government is committed to ensuring that elections are accessible for all those eligible to vote and has been working with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to improve the voting process for blind and partially sighted people.At the 2019 General Election, the Government encouraged Returning Officers to support voters with sight loss to use their own, familiar equipment, such as smartphones, with specially designed apps for reading documents, or video magnifiers to help them cast their vote. This was publicised by partner organisations such as the RNIB and supported the voting experience of people with sight loss. The Government has also worked with relevant organisations, such as the Electoral Commission, to improve disability related training for polling station staff.We will continue to test further proposed interventions to improve accessibility for future elections.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Financial Services: Safety

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Intellectual Property Office about the development of guidance similar to “know your customer” guidance for financial services, for wider application under any future online harms legislation.

Baroness Barran: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with organisations on a range of issues, including the challenge of fraud and anonymity online. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the Gov.uk website.The Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation, published in December 2020, sets out expectations on companies to keep their users safe online. This includes a proposed legal duty of care on companies and the appointment of a new communications regulator, Ofcom, to ensure that new laws are enforced.There are many legitimate reasons why an individual would not wish to identify themselves online. Whistleblowers, victims of modern slavery and survivors of domestic abuse may wish to stay anonymous, to protect their identity online. Our proposals strike the right balance between protecting users’ rights online, while preserving freedom of expression. The Online Safety Bill will be introduced next year.